CARIFTA 2025: Skyla Connor and Troy Nisbett prepare for another shot

Troy Nisbett and Skyla Connor, the 2-member swim team are all set to represent St Kitts and Nevis at the 38th edition of the CARIFTA Aquatic Championships. Scheduled to be held at the National Aquatics Centre, Balmain Couva in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago from 19th to 22nd April, 2025, where all the athletes will be competing in both preliminaries and finals.

This will be the second consecutive season of the duo at the CARIFTA Aquatic games as they both are all set to return to the event. Shedding light on their participation, the National Swim Coach, James Weekes expressed excitement, stating they are thrilled to have Troy & Skyla yet again to represent the federation in swimming. 

He added that swimming is such a sport that is rapidly gaining popularity both locally and regionally and their participation in the CARIFTA would give a significant platform for the athletes to showcase their skills, abilities and techniques on an international platform. 

The Swim Coach asserted that they are putting in all their efforts as well as resources, aiming to prepare both Troy Nisbett and Skyla Connor for the highly competitive discipline within their respective age groups. He further added that their participation is also a valuable opportunity for the players to learn from and compete against the top athletes in the Caribbean region. 

Premier Mark Brantley extended best wishes to both the Nevisian star swimmers. He took to his official Facebook handle and said, “Congratulations to these two brilliant Nevisian youngsters! I wish them every success!”

Troy Nisbett and Skyla Connor’s participation last year 

Both Skyla Connor and Troy Nisbett represented St Kitts and Nevis for the very first time at the CARIFTA Games. In the last year’s edition, Troy Nisbett competed in the 13–14-year-old category in breaststroke 50 meters; freestyle 100, 200 and 50 meters and breaststroke 10 and 50 meters. Meanwhile, Skyla Connor participated in the 11-12 age category in breaststroke 50 meters; freestyle 100, 200 and 450 meters; breaststroke 100, 200 and 50 meters and butterfly 50 meters.

Both the athletes achieved significant milestone in the last edition as Troy recorded a new personal best by shaving 2.18 secs off the 50 M backstroke while Skyla beat her PB by .19 secs in the 50m backstroke and 0.58 seconds in the 200m breaststroke. Both the athletes aimed at surpassing all their previous records, aiming to win medals for their nation. 

38th CARIFTA Aquatics Championship

The CARIFTA Aquatic Championship is an international age-group competition that plays a crucial role in bringing together athletes from across the Caribbean to compete in various aquatic disciplines. The event will showcase various distances in butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle.

Emphasising on the event, the organizers noted that it stands as a testament to the rich sporting culture of the Caribbean. They asserted that the championship is a great platform to fostering athletic talent and sportsmanship among its youth.